I am openly embraced by three young ladies running up to me greeting me as Aunty Ruth. During five years living in northern Nigeria, I have seen many haunted faces, but these girls look different, haunted and also broken. I wanted to photograph them looking like the strong resilient survivors they are, but as they sat slumped in their chairs, I had the heart breaking realization that at such a young age these beautiful young people have lost their innocence and experienced the worst of humanity They are just a few of the many youth that have been abducted by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Boko Haram has been rapidly increasing attacks in Northern Nigeria. Sadly young girls and boys have now become a target. Girls are used for tactical reasons and a form of punishment to them and their communities. And hundreds of young boys have been taken to use as fighters, and indoctrinate them in Boko Haram ideologies. Up to 500 girls have been abducted since as far back 2009 from the north-eastern Borno and Yobe states.

Boys and girls have been abducted while, travelling on the roads, attending school, working on farms, and from their homes during attacks on villages. They are put through psychological abuse, forced labour, forced marriage, forced to convert to Islam, and become victims of sexual violence and rape. Boko Haram are taking young people on operations and teaching them to carry ammunitions and eventually to kill. A recent development is young girls being sent out as suicide bombers. There are now reports coming out from escaped abductees that the Chibok girls still in captivity are now notorious fighters Some have been fortunate to escape however many still remain captive. The Chibok attack on April 14, 2014 was the largest case of abductions, with 276 girls taken, 57 managed to escape. It brought the attention of the world on Nigeria, and to the atrocities carried out by Boko Haram.

Escapees of the Chibok attack have received some counseling and educational scholarships however there remains a serious lack of support for girls and boys abducted before and after Chibok. They urgently need post trauma counseling as they struggle with the memories, and many no longer attend school fearing they will be kidnapped again. Many of the girls that escaped are now stigmatized, and often relocate to new towns as they ostracized by their neighbors. It is not uncommon for abuses against children and youth to go unprosecuted in Nigeria. A code of silence prevents justice taking place, robbing them of their rights as the victim. More often than not youth bare the brunt of conflict.

Plateaua State Nigeria All of the young people that were abducted had to move to new cities for security reasons. Plateau State is one of the new homes where some have been re-located to.

Mairama We stayed in some small hut. Everyday there were plenty of insurgents in the camp carry guns. Eventually one day three of us escaped together.

Mairama, 16 Years Boko Haram attacked my village and came to my house in the night of 30th September 2013. I was sent to a camp in the Gwoza hills where I spent three weeks in the camp. I would fetch water and cook for the insurgents and spent a lot of time sad and crying. They arranged for me to marry, but I refuse to sleep with the man, so he threatened he would kill me next time. One night a wife of one of the commanders showed the path to escape, so me and two other girls spent two days walking and running through the bush until we reached a safe city. It was just the grace of God that saved me. I am now back in school and would like to become a nurse one day.

Lydia, 1994 I was travelling in a public bus after finishing writing exams on the 7th May 2013, while on the road a Boko haram member stopped and entered the vehicle. Everyone was telling me to say I’m a Muslim, otherwise I will be killed. We entered a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa forest, I stayed there for three days and each night we would sleep under big trees. I saw young boys in the camp carrying guns, some even as young as 10 years. I ddin’t eat any food for three days, I was thinking it could be human flesh, because there are rumours that Boko Haram eat human flesh, so I would throw the food on the ground each day and pretend I ate. Eventually some insurgents asked which village I was from, and realised they knew my fathers brother. So they decided to let me go, and dropped me off at a main road, they made me wear hijab and gave me 2000 naira. My family are now taking refuge in Cameroon, but I am not staying with them. I burnt my hijab after I escaped, I have dreams of Shekau in the night, coming to kill me.

Lydia, 1994 I was travelling in a public bus after paying my school fees on the 7th May 2013, while on the road a Boko haram member stopped and entered the vehicle. Everyone was telling me to say I’m a Muslim, otherwise I will be killed. We entered a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa forest, I stayed there for three days and each night we would sleep under big trees. I saw young boys in the camp carrying guns, some even as young as 10 years. I ddin’t eat any food for three days, I was thinking it could be human flesh, because there are rumours that Boko Haram eat human flesh, so I would throw the food on the ground each day and pretend I ate. Eventually some insurgents asked which village I was from, and realised they knew my fathers brother. So they decided to let me go, and dropped me off at a main road, they made me wear hijab and gave me 2000 naira. My family are now taking refuge in Cameroon, but I am not staying with them. I burnt my hijab after I escaped, I have dreams of Shekau in the night, coming to kill me.

Sarah, 20 years old On May 7th 2013 I was travelling in a public bus with my friend. A Boko Haram member stopped us on the road, he entered the vehicle. We also realised the driver of the bus was a Boko Haram member. I was in the camp for three days until they released us.

Lydia, 1994 I was travelling in a public bus after paying my school fees on the 7th May 2013, while on the road a Boko haram member stopped and entered the vehicle. Everyone was telling me to say I’m a Muslim, otherwise I will be killed. We entered a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa forest, I stayed there for three days and each night we would sleep under big trees. I saw young boys in the camp carrying guns, some even as young as 10 years. I ddin’t eat any food for three days, I was thinking it could be human flesh, because there are rumours that Boko Haram eat human flesh, so I would throw the food on the ground each day and pretend I ate. Eventually some insurgents asked which village I was from, and realised they knew my fathers brother. So they decided to let me go, and dropped me off at a main road, they made me wear hijab and gave me 2000 naira. My family are now taking refuge in Cameroon, but I am not staying with them. I burnt my hijab after I escaped, I have dreams of Shekau in the night, coming to kill me.

Markus Everywhere we were surrounded by Boko Haram camps on every side. During the first night of our escape their were two large snakes that were two metres from us. We prayed that night the snakes would not disturb us and they just stayed where we were. We would stay under the thick canopy of the trees to hide from military helicopters seeing the camp. Me and the pastor spent all of our days praying and planning for an escape.

Blessing, 19 years. At about 8pm on the 30th of September 2013 Boko Haram came into my brothers room and shot him. They took his wife and put a gun to her head, they asked for all the ladies in the house to come outside. They took me away with my sister and sister in law. When we reached the Boko Haram camp they asked me to denounce Christ and accept Islam, if not they will slaughter me. Out of fear I agreed and then they gave me a hijab to wear. After converting I was then made to married a insurgent called Abul. I suffered so much during the three weeks in that camp. While Boko Haram were outside gather ammunitions a wife of one commander showed me how to escape. I ran away to safety with two other girls.

Hauwa, 15 years In 2009 during a crisis in Maiduguri city my friend and I were taken by my mothers friend who lived nearby. The woman and her husband were Boko Haram members. The wife locked us inside her house and wanted us to become her ‘Muslim daughters’. The woman tried to force me to convert to Islam and change my name, when I refused I would be severely beaten. After one week passing, while the woman was in the house, my friend held a brick and hit the lady in the head, and then we grabbed the house key and locked the woman inside. I ran away back to my house only to discover my father had just been killed during the crisis. The ladies husband impregnated my friend that was with me, so how she has a child born to a Boko Haram member. I no longer live in Abeokuta and I miss my family. I have to work hard so that eventually I can support my mother and my siblings.

Plateaua State Nigeria All of the young people that were abducted had to move to new cities for security reasons. Plateau State is one of the new homes where some have been re-located to.

Martha, !4 years On the 7th of Spetember 2014 while I was travelling to a wedding I was captured by Boko Haram. They killed my brother in law and my sisters fiancé. They carried me and my two sisters to their camp in Gulak. I stayed there for four months. I suffered greatly during this time, sometimes there was not enough food and I hardly bathed. They told me not to walk around outside, and when I did they would beat me, they told me not to talk, and I would talk, so they would beat me, they told me not to sing, I would sing and they would beat me. They taught me how to use a gun, and I went on two operations with them where I would carry ammunitions, but I could never bring myself to kill anyone. I met some of the Chibok girls, and they had been taught to kill people. They tried to force my sister to kill an old man, when she refused they shot her instead, I watched people being slaughtered like ants .They were planning to marry me to one man. A week before the wedding I escaped. I had tried to escape four times but failed every time. An old woman in the camp who spoke my tribal language explained directions of how to escape through the bush. So that night while pretending to go to the toilet, and sneaked away in the night with another girl. I still think about the experience all the time, when I sing in my tribal language I forget, but if I sit quietly I remember everything and will just cry.

Hannah, 15 years Boko Haram stormed into my house on the night of the 28th of September 2013. I was in a deep sleep, they asked my sister, mother and I to come outside. My father was not around at the time. They asked our names and upon hearing our Christian names they decided to take me away. I am the daughter of a pastor, and at the time I was only 14 years old. When I left the house with them, they burnt a church and then journeyed for two days to reach their camp in the Gwoza hills, it was a long and difficult journey. Once I reached the camp I was forced to join Islam, given a new name and they married to one man. I managed to escape one night with two other girls. I am still struggling with the memories but I am trying to focus and to continue with school and become a business woman.

Ladi I was abducted from my hometown of Gwoza in 2013 while farming. I spent three months in a Boko Haram camp. They were about to slaughter me by slitting my throat. One of them begged me not to resist, so I relented and converted to Islam. I read from a Koran, and they put a veil on me. They made my bride price to be 15,000 naira $75. One day I preteneded to have stomach pains, so an old lady escorted me to a nearby hospital. Once we were in the town, I threatened to turn her into police so she ran and left me there. That is how I escaped. I am not in school anymore and I still remember everything from my experience which is very upsetting.

Hauwa, 15 years In 2009 during a crisis in Maiduguri city my friend and I were taken by my mothers friend who lived nearby. The woman and her husband were Boko Haram members. The wife locked us inside her house and wanted us to become her ‘Muslim daughters’. The woman tried to force me to convert to Islam and change my name, when I refused I would be severely beaten. After one week passing, while the woman was in the house, my friend held a brick and hit the lady in the head, and then we grabbed the house key and locked the woman inside. I ran away back to my house only to discover my father had just been killed during the crisis. The ladies husband impregnated my friend that was with me, so how she has a child born to a Boko Haram member. I no longer live in Abeokuta and I miss my family. I have to work hard so that eventually I can support my mother and my siblings.

Hannah We were kept in a room all together, the room next to us was full of ammunitions. Outside Boko Haram members would be praying on their matts. We escaped down several paths through the bush, the bush was scarey.

Plateaua State Nigeria All of the young people that were abducted had to move to new cities for security reasons. Plateau State is one of the new homes where some have been re-located to.

Bio

Ruth McDowall is a New Zealand born photographer, She studied fine arts at Elam art school Auckland, New Zealand. In 2008 she travelled to northern Nigeria, creating a project teaching street kids photography. Her documentary photography started from these initial years immersed in the city of Jos. She has now lived in Africa for 7 years. In 2015 she received a Photo Reporter Grant to complete a project about youth that escaped abduction by Boko Haram in Nigeria. This project was selected as Times best 10 photo essay of the month, a finalist in Lensculture visual story telling awards 2015 and featured on New Yorker Photo Booth and National Geographic Proof. Some of her clients include Time, Newsweek, Telegraph, Elle, The Guardian, Le Telegrame, IO Donna, and Jeune Afrique, Heinrich Boll Foundation, Al Jazeera magazine, Buzfeed, Glamour,UNESCO, Action Aid and UNICEF. Realizing the limits of photography she also continues her work with street youth in Nigeria.

3 Responses to “Ruth McDowell – Malaiku”

I wasn’t as taken by this until reading the intro.
It’s dark, stark and striking.
The profile orientation of the portraits has a nice, unique effect.
I feel for the humanity so much less fortunate than me.

It’s great to try to shed light on such a tragedy, and I’m guessing no faces are shown due to fear of repercussions, but still, I don’t think the faceless victims strategy works. More I fear it may perpetuate the faceless victims problem. Better, I’d think, to go the more traditional route and put a face on the tragedy so that people can better identify with the victims. Not easy, I know, and maybe not even possible.

I think it’s a fantastically sensitive project. I don’t find the hidden faces produce a ‘faceless victim’ narrative at all. What I do see is a symbolic image of the introspection and insecurity that follows a devastating event. We close in on ourselves and hide away, gnawed at by fear and shame, trying to come to terms.

I want to comfort the subjects. To have them turn toward me. To say “It’s ok…”, the words you reach for when it’s not. To offer a gentle touch. I can’t, but there is such gentleness in the light that it’s almost kind. It’s a kind of hope.